Allenhead

Arther pencilgon

Arther pencilgon

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had a wonder up there over the weekend with the dog, was loving the history of the place, was told there is 3 waterwheels down one of the shafts still in tact, don’t suppose any one can verify this or even better have any pics? Thanks
 
There was some mention of underground waterwheel locations in this thread:

Pumps

First up a water pump which I know nothing about. It's in the National Slate Museum collection but they don't know where it came from or who made it. If anyone knows pleae add in the info. Here's another in their collection. This one was made by DeWinton and is thought to have been used to...
buddlepit.co.uk buddlepit.co.uk
 
Arther pencilgon said:
had a wonder up there over the weekend with the dog, was loving the history of the place, was told there is 3 waterwheels down one of the shafts still in tact, don’t suppose any one can verify this or even better have any pics? Thanks
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There are four, the fourth one is edge on. Gin Hill Shaft is not marked in this snip, but its the shaft to the right of Little Shaft and as a bonus this plan shows the BSC inclines as well:

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Arther pencilgon said:
Thank you so much I appreciate this so much, I’m assuming they probably all mush now after all this time?
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The last reports I have is from BSC days, i.e. nearly 50 years ago. Apparently only two could be reached and they were in poor state.

Are you aware of the two waterwheels at Burtree Pasture? Plan view, I have yet to find a sectional view. If they had survived, I assume they were removed when Weardale Lead put in their winder in the 1970s. Nice gin chamber as well.

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Allenheads is pretty much all underwater now, including the water wheel remains, and aside of the inclines and Gin Hill shaft, all the fell top shafts have been filled in by Allendale Estates. Corbitmea shaft was a particularly sad loss as it could have given back-door access to Frazers Hush.

There was a 1970's photo of one of the Allenheads wheels on Aditnow, possibly from Jim McPherson (I may be wrong here)

The Burtree wheelpits are still accessible via SRT, as is the horse gin and electric winder. WLC's shaft sinking was eventually aborted due to the blockage with debris from the waterwheels which had been thrown down the shaft on previous abandonment. What remains is impressive; bucket-list stuff! If you do get that far, a wander along the new main level towards Breckonsike is worth doing, you soon get out of the bad air and dodgy timbers into a big Limestone drive. Also a look outbye toward the portal is an interesting if rather wet expedition.
 
I’ve seen pictures on 28yearslater of Burtree, I think it’s referenced on the database would be fantastic to get down there but sadly I’m a bit too old for srt nowadays (got metal knees) they used to be a smaller shaft closer to the shop but sadly it’s blocked with a boulder, from what I remember it got you in to the horse level.
 
legendrider said:
Allenheads is pretty much all underwater now, including the water wheel remains, and aside of the inclines and Gin Hill shaft, all the fell top shafts have been filled in by Allendale Estates. Corbitmea shaft was a particularly sad loss as it could have given back-door access to Frazers Hush.

There was a 1970's photo of one of the Allenheads wheels on Aditnow, possibly from Jim McPherson (I may be wrong here)

The Burtree wheelpits are still accessible via SRT, as is the horse gin and electric winder. WLC's shaft sinking was eventually aborted due to the blockage with debris from the waterwheels which had been thrown down the shaft on previous abandonment. What remains is impressive; bucket-list stuff! If you do get that far, a wander along the new main level towards Breckonsike is worth doing, you soon get out of the bad air and dodgy timbers into a big Limestone drive. Also a look outbye toward the portal is an interesting if rather wet expedition.
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The Weardale Minerals abandonment plan for Greencleugh shows that there was no connection with Corbitmea Shaft, indeed they stopped development approaching it and left a barrier around it. This section also shows a Ridley's Shaft to what appears to be the south west of Corbitmea, but what was that developed for? Its its not on Allenheads/Fawside/Corbitmea or any of the plans for Allenheads/Beaumont and doesn't appear to connect with anything.

The Dunham and Fairbairn books report no activities at Burtree Pasture between abandonment in 1899 and recommencement by Weardale Lead in the early 1970s. This is confirmed by the Durham Mining Museum entry. Did the waterwheels end up down the shaft during the war as a botched recovery/recyling operation? or did Messrs Hinchcliffe play here at the same time as opening Sedling High level in the 1920s?

At Burtree is the SAMUK incline, the level in the vein in the Great Limestone, SAMUK's GL development drive, the Breckonsike High Waggon level and the Middlehopehead Air Shaft accessible?

Finally there's no mention of a mill at Burtree, I assume its the same one as that at Sedling.
 
Chatting with soneone who regularly walks Middlehopehead ,& who located the site when I told him what to look for, no the furnace shaft isn't open. Which reminds me, I still need to take a walk up there with him & survey what little remains.

Presume that you're referring to the crushing mill at Sedling rather than the old Smelt Mill lower down by the junction of Sedling & Killhope burns?

Should be speaking to some who worked the levels at Burtree, Frasers and Greencleugh later this week - I'll ask about Corbitmea & Ridleys shafts, & also Burtree waterwheels.
 
There could have been two mills at Sedling, the first one producing galena during the 19th Century and the later one producing fluorspar and galena from 1900-48. The later one belt picked, crushed, screened, rolled and jigged with the two products being cleaned up with more jigs for metspar and sands shaking tables for galena concentrates. Apparently the belt picked out waste rock and spar with sulphides. Presumably at a later stage, the spar with sulphides was floated either at Boltsburn or even Broadwood.
 
This is a section of the area around Corbitmea Shaft and Fawside level from the Weardale Minerals Greencleugh abandonment plan. It shows no connection between the later workings with the old. It also shows a 45 m safety zone and even probe drilling to ensure the barrier wasn't breached. It also shows Ridley Shaft.

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The corresponding plan shows Corbitmea Shaft, Fawside level, Greencleugh workings, Ridley Shaft plus a number of other suspected shafts to the south west.

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The first plan of the Burtree Pasture Engine Shaft is dated 1899. This one is dated 8-4-1974, but its a copy of an earlier plan:

1783499438947.png

As you can see the waterwheels and the gin chamber have yet to be built. In addition, the dashed level which passes close to Moors Sump and the shaft is the low Level in the vein in the Great Limestone. Also note the level mouth not far from the Engine Shaft is that of the Breckonsike High Waggon Level. There might be some evidence of it today in the vicinity of the shaft top. Neither of these were marked on the 1899 plan. What I don't have is the SAMUK/Weardale Minerals abandonment plan which should show the exact location of their incline and workings in the Great limestone, as well as their stopes a short way along Breconsike Day or Water Level. It would also be interesting to find out the actual date of this plan, as well as when the waterwheels and gin chamber were constructed.
 
RogerB said:
The first plan of the Burtree Pasture Engine Shaft is dated 1899. This one is dated 8-4-1974, but its a copy of an earlier plan:

View attachment 3247

As you can see the waterwheels and the gin chamber have yet to be built. In addition, the dashed level which passes close to Moors Sump and the shaft is the low Level in the vein in the Great Limestone. Also note the level mouth not far from the Engine Shaft is that of the Breckonsike High Waggon Level. There might be some evidence of it today in the vicinity of the shaft top. Neither of these were marked on the 1899 plan. What I don't have is the SAMUK/Weardale Minerals abandonment plan which should show the exact location of their incline and workings in the Great limestone, as well as their stopes a short way along Breconsike Day or Water Level. It would also be interesting to find out the actual date of this plan, as well as when the waterwheels and gin chamber were constructed.
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Incredible map! It's wild to look at these early iterations and see what wasn't there yet even if it’s a copy of the original. Wasn’t the winding platform brought in from stanhopeburn? Thanks for posting this.
 
Stanhopeburn's winder may be the same age as the one at Burtree Pasture as both mines were reopened by different companies in the early 1970s. They were certainly both in place in 1981 as I saw them both within a few days of each other.
 
RogerB said:
Stanhopeburn's winder may be the same age as the one at Burtree Pasture as both mines were reopened by different companies in the early 1970s. They were certainly both in place in 1981 as I saw them both within a few days of each other.
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So in theory the one in stanhopeburn could still be there too? If memory serves the engine shaft is still open for that one too.
 
Probably. Around 30 years ago I spent a cautious half hour looking round the surface at Park Shops trying to find the shaft, but it must have been filled in. I haven't seen any reports of anyone gaining underground access to Stanhopeburn, so it must be impregnable.
 
RogerB said:
Probably. Around 30 years ago I spent a cautious half hour looking round the surface at Park Shops trying to find the shaft, but it must have been filled in. I haven't seen any reports of anyone gaining underground access to Stanhopeburn, so it must be impregnable.
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I’ve been told there is a shaft open but would require a tripod for entry but again too old for that but will have a look up there at some point when knees are up to it, and make a note of what I find
 
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